Editor’s Note: The following is an excerpt from an article on the Huffington Post. To see the full article, click here.
FREETOWN, an indie film (called a “religious thriller”) was released less than two weeks ago in select theaters across the United States. The movie–in it’s first seven days–has grossed nearly a quarter of a million dollars. For most independent films, this amount in its entire run would be a dream. But for a film set in Liberia, featuring a cast of virtual unknowns, its seven-day gross is certainly something that is turning heads.
But the promising first week is not the reason why audiences are talking about FREETOWN. Can you guess what it is? It’s not the box office and not the national theatrical release.
It’s a film about black Mormon missionaries.
It’s no secret that the Mormon Church has somewhat of a controversial past when it comes to issues of race. Until a revelation given to then prophet Spencer W. Kimball in 1978 changed the practice, the church had banned the priesthood from all black members. In fact, many members of the church (myself included) freely admit to not really knowing how to address the priesthood ban practiced and taught throughout the church since the days of Brigham Young. Just last year church leaders released a series of essays on it’s official website, lds.org, taking a scholarly, candid approach to several controversial topics relating to the church. Essays addressed themes such asthe church’s early practice of polygamy, or DNA studies and The Book of Mormon, or yes, even the topic of race and the Priesthood.
So, how are the Mormons handling a theatrically released feature film that draws attention to the “cognitive dissonance” as one of the characters in FREETOWN refers to the priesthood ban? Yes, right in plain sight.
To see the full article, click here.
tinaJuly 29, 2015
I find Alma 3 and the website blacks in the scriptures . com very clear in specifying that race and color is not the same thing and reason... because of the slave issue, it saved many lives to have held back even though there were Phood holders in the early LDS Church, and in the correct time for America and other lands across the world, the timing was well suited
Sasha Bill KwapinskiApril 21, 2015
The Book of Mormon contains at least twenty references indicating that the gospel will go forth among all nations, tongues, and people. The D&C contains about 78 such passages, and still more are in the Pearl of Great Price. The Bible contains the promise that through the seed of Abraham all families of the earth will be blessed - a promise also repeated on the Book of Mormon. Similarly, the Book of Revelation speaks of "another angel," flying through the air, bringing the everlasting gospel to all people. Joseph Smith, Brigham young, and any number of other LDS church leaders have made statements and predictions to the effect that the church will in time become established among all nations and people. Perhaps this helps.